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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap.^Z'.!. Copyright No... 


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 


J 
















BUZ-BUZ, WRITING HIS ADVENTURES. 


I 





BUZ-BUZ 

* 

HIS twelve adventures 


u 


CHARLES STUART PRATT 

AUTHOR OF 

STICK-AND-PEA PLAYS,” “LITTLE PETERKIN 
VANDIKE,” “ BYE-O-BABY BALLADS,” 

“ BABY’S LULLABY BOOK,” ETC. 


Fifty Illustrations 

BY 

L. J. BRIDGMAN 



BOSTON 

LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1898 


■PZ | 0 

Vttz 

B 


1 2691 

Copyright , 1898 , 

BY 

Lothrop Publishing Company. 



TWO COPIES RECEIVED. 

lo l l ^ V 

(\ Colonial Press 

Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. 
Boston, U.S. A 


2 n 


1 69b. 


To 

the little child friends 

of birds and butterflies and tiny helpless things , 

I dedicate 

this account of the adventures of Buz-Buz , 
which has been written to help them enter into 
the life of one familiar bisect, 
and so see how all such little creatures 
live a varied life of their own , 
with doings and happenings , with pleasures and pains, 
like larger folk. 


c. s. p. 





CONTENTS. 


ADVENTURE I. page 

In the Muslin Castle 15 

ADVENTURE II. 

In Baby’s Silver Cup 22 

ADVENTURE III. 

Under the Round Glass 29 

ADVENTURE IV. 

With the North-wind 36 

ADVENTURE V. 

In the Silver Web 43 

ADVENTURE VI. 

In the Chippie’s Nest 49 

ADVENTURE VII. 

In Baby’s Bath-tub . 55 

ADVENTURE VIII. 

On the Sticky Place 62 

vii 


CONTENTS. 


viii 

ADVENTURE IX. PAGE 

In the Paper Prison . 70 

ADVENTURE X. 

In the Sugar Bowl 78 

ADVENTURE XI. 

In the Canary’s Cage 86 

ADVENTURE XII. 

In the Christmas Tree 94 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


BUZ-BUZ, WRITING HIS ADVENTURES . 

• 

• 

PAGE 

Frontispiece 

A WING 

V 

• 

In title-page 

Initial picture 



. 15 

Baby 



. 16 

The Man and Baby .... 



. 1 7 

Buz-Euz IN THE MUSLIN CASTLE 



. 19 

Initial picture 



. 22 

Baby’s silver cup .... 



. 23 

The Grandma feeding baby . 



. 25 

The white track .... 



. 27 

Initial picture 



. 29 

The Boy with the round glass . 



• 3 i 

“AS LARGE AS. A MILLER” 



• 33 

“ He SAID I WAS HAIRY ” . 



• 34 

Initial picture 



. 36 

The Boy after Buz-Buz . 


# 

• 37 


IX 


X 


ILL CIS TLA TIONS. 


PAGE 


Swept away by the North-Wind 

• 

• 

• 



39 

Buz-Buz HIDING AWAY 






4i 

Initial picture .... 






43 

The apple-tree. 






44 

The silver web. 






45 

The Chippie-bird 






47 

Initial picture .... 






49 

By the barn door . 






50 

“ With me in his bill ” . 






5 r 

The yellow Cow 






53 

Initial picture .... 






55 

The man that milked 






56 

“Snap!” 






57 

On Baby’s bare wet arm 






59 

Initial picture .... 






62 

“When the Cook clapped her hands 





63 

The Sticky Place . 






65 

“ He made his hands into fists ” 






67 

Initial picture .... 






70 

“I buzzed” .... 






7 1 

The Teacher .... 






74 

“The children all giggled” 






75 


ILLUSTRA TIONS . 


xi 

Initial picture . 


• • • • 


PAGE 

. 78 

Sugar “squares” 

• 

. 

• 

. 80 

“ It was the Boy ! ” . 

• 

. 

• 

. 8l 

“‘The fly is gone, an’ 

THE 

SUGAR, TOO ! ’ ” . 


• 84 

Initial picture . 

• 



. 86 

A Shiny-place Fly . 

• 



• 87 

The Maid chases Buz-Buz 



. 88 

“‘S-ss-t! catchim ! 

• 



. 89 

Initial picture . 

• 



• 94 

The flower window 

• 



• 95 

The house-sun . 

• 



. 98 

« He clapped his hands 

AND 

SHOUTED ” 


• 99 





































































# 















¥ 

* 










































































BUZ-BUZ 



































































« 





* 




















































BUZ-BUZ. 


ADVENTURE I. 


IN THE MUSLIN CASTLE. 



AM Buz-Buz ; and, if you 
please, I am to tell you the 
story of my adventures. 

I am a house fly — a 
buzzy fly — a lively fly, too, 
in spite of my great age. 

You will hardly believe me, but I have 
lived for three hundred and sixty-five days, 
and as many nights ! I came the very 
day before that thing in the Lady’s lap 
did — that thing they call Baby. 

Poor Baby! I’m afraid he’ll never be 


1 6 BUZ -BUZ. 

much. All this time he has had only 
two legs. I have six. He has two arms 
— oh, yes — and sometimes, when he is 
on the floor, he tries to use them for legs. 
But he never could climb up the wall, 
with legs and arms both ; much less could 
he go along the ceiling. 

Sometimes the 
Man tries to put him 
up on the ceiling, 
but Baby never stays 
there. The Man 
never lets go, indeed ; 
if he should, I am 
sure Baby would fall, 
and that would be very bad, for Baby 
hasn’t even the sign of a wing yet. 

I have two wings. See them — strong, 
light, clear as the glass in the window, 



IN THE MUSLIN CASTLE . 


I 7 


and the beautiful color of rainbows. They 
saved my life the first time I was in danger. 
That was long, 



long ago. 


They had 
put Baby in 
the muslin cas- 
tle. The Lady 
calls the castle 
a crib. He had 
a round white 


THE MAN AND BABY. 


thing that smelled of sugar. He put it 
in his mouth. He made the noise babies 
make when they like things. Then he 
shut both of his eyes, and went to sleep. 

I like sugar, too. I thought I might 
have what Baby had left. I flew over to 
the muslin castle. I went in just as the 
Lady closed the white doors. 


IS 


BUZ-BUZ. 


She saw me. She put in her arm and 
grabbed for me. I tried to dodge her 
hand, and flew — right into Baby’s ear. 
That, or the grabbing, made Baby wake 
up. He cried. He cried very loud. 

The Lady tried harder to catch me. It 
was a dreadful time. The castle doors 
were closed, and there was no way of 
escape. 

Once the Lady caught me in her hand. 
She was not sure she had. She opened 
her fingers, slowly, one at a time, to see. 
I was by the ring on the third finger. 
When she lifted that third finger, I was 
let loose, and I flew swiftly up to the roof 
of the muslin castle. Then the chase 
began again. 

At last I flew up the Lady’s sleeve. 
That made her draw back her arm ; and 



BUZ-BUZ IN THE MUSLIN CASTLE. 

























— 
















. 















IN THE MUSLIN CASTLE. 


21 


the minute it was outside the castle I 
flew out of her sleeve, and across the 
nursery, and out through the hall, and 
never stopped until I reached the top of 
the big picture of the Man in the library. 
There I was safe. 

That’s the good of wings. 


ADVENTURE II. 


in baby’s silver cup. 

STAYED a long time 
on the top of the Man’s 
picture. At last I be- 
gan to be hungry, for I 
did not get the least 
bit of sugar when I 
was in the muslin castle. 

Just then I heard crying in the nur- 
sery. I knew by that sound that Baby 
had waked up, and would soon come out 
of the castle and have some milk. Baby 
eats milk. I like milk, too. And that is 
how I happened to have my second 
adventure. 



22 


IN BABY'S SILVER CUP. 


23 


I back to the nursery. The 

Grandma was just coming in with the 
milk. It was in Baby’s silver cup. 

The Grandma likes to 
feed Baby. Grandmas 
like babies anyway; but 
they don’t like flies. 1 
Baby’s Grandma always 
scats me, as if I were a 
great greedy cat. 

Just as Baby began to drink, I lighted 
on his lip, close to the milk. But before 
I took the first sip — oh, such a splutter 
as he made ! The milk splashed Up over 
his face, and over me. Somehow I was 
knocked off Baby’s lip right into the milk. 

I was frightened. No wonder, for it 
was the first time I had ever been in 
milk. 



24 


BUZ -BUZ. 


The bad thing about milk is, you can’t 
walk on it — no, not even with six legs. 
You can’t fly in it, either ; and you can’t 
fly out of it. 

I did not sink. I floated on the sur- 
face. And I found that by paddling 
with my legs I could move myself 
along. 

The Grandma had set the cup down. 
She was wiping Baby’s face. So I tried 
to swim to the side of the cup. At last I 
reached it. I tried to climb up the steep 
shining wall, but I was heavy with the 
milk that clung to me. By great effort I 
did pull myself out of the milk and up a 
little way twice, but each time I slipped 
back into the milk. I did not know what 
to do. 

But Baby was very hungry. He cried 



THE GRANDMA FEEDING BABY. 










IN BABY'S SILVER CUP. 


27 


for milk. He cried louder when he saw 
me in it. 

The Grandma took me out with Baby’s 
silver spoon. Baby was in such a hurry 
she dropped the spoon on the table, with 
me in it. 

I crawled out of the silver spoon as 
quickly as I could. I hurried off across 
the table as fast as I could go, but that 

THE WHITE TRACK. 

was not very fast. I left a white track 
of milk behind me as I went. 

Once I stopped to wipe off the milk. 
I rubbed my legs together. I rubbed my 
hind legs over my wings. Then I could 
crawl faster. 



28 


BUZ -BUZ. 


I was glad when I reached the end 
of the table. The sun shone there. I 
began to dry off. I thought I was safe 
at last. 


ADVENTURE III 


UNDER THE ROUND GLASS. 



WAS there in the sunshine 
all the time Baby was 
drinking milk. I was 
nearly dry enough to 
fly. I had tried my 
wings a little, and 
was sure I could get away soon. 

Just then the Boy came in. 

The Boy was bigger than Baby, but 
not as big as the Man, or the Lady, or 
the Grandma. The Boy could make more 
noise, though, than all three. I had heard 
him do it often. 

Boys have no more legs than babies, 


29 


30 


BUZ -BUZ. 


but they walk on those they have; they 
don’t crawl; they don’t use their hands 
for feet. 

The Boy had a round clear glass in 
one hand. He kept looking through it 
at things. He said it made them very 
big. The Grandma called the glass a 
magnifying-glass. 

The Boy saw me. He came up on tip- 
toe and held the glass over me. I did not 
like to have the Boy very near, but I 
didn’t fly away, for I wanted to see how 
things looked through the queer glass. 

When the Boy looked at me he laughed 
softly. He whispered to the Grandma 
that I looked as large as a miller. He 
said I was hairy, and had lots of eyes in 
each eye. He said he could see the bones 
in my wings. 



THE BOY WITH THE ROUND GLASS. 








UNDER THE ROUND GLASS. 33 

The Grandma came and looked. Then 
she brought Baby, but Baby didn’t seem 
to care about me. 

He wanted the 
round glass. I 
think he wanted 
to bite it. 

All this time I 
was looking up 
at them. They 
did look very 
large, many 
times larger than 
people, and very 

“AS LARGE AS A MILLER.” 

strange, too. 

Baby’s soft pink skin was coarse and 
wrinkled and full of holes. It was cov- 
ered with long hairs like grass. When 
he opened his mouth I was scared, it was 



34 


BUZ -BUZ. 


so very, very big. But when a noise 
came out of the big mouth, the noise was 
no bigger than ever! That was queer. 

But I didn’t think it was best to stay so 
near the Boy any longer. I buzzed my 
wings a little, to try them. The Boy 

thought I 
was going to 
fly away. He 
said some- 
thing about 
sticking a pin 
through me 
to keep me 
there, and he 

“HE SAID I WAS HAIRY.” 

went over to 

the pin -cushion to get one. 

I had never had a pin stuck through 
me, but I was sure I should not like it; I 



UNDER THE ROUND GLASS. 


35 


feared it would be very bad. I had never 
been so seared. What if I couldn’t fly! 

But I buzzed my wings as fast as I 
could, and I did fly ! I got across the 
room to the top of the muslin castle. 

Then the Boy came after me, and I flew 
to the top of the window. I was quite 
sure he could not get me there. 


ADVENTURE IV. 


WITH THE NORTH -WIND. 

DID not know as much about 
boys then as I do now. I was 
not safe at the top of the 
window. 

Boys have no more wings 
than babies, but they can 
climb like cats. 

The Boy followed me. He pulled a 
chair to the window; he jumped into 
the soft cushioned seat ; he climbed up 
the pretty carved back. As I buzzed 
over the upper pane, a little brown hand 
reached up, slowly, slowly, then like a 
flash it grabbed for me. 

36 




THE BOY AFTER BUZ-BUZ. 






























WITH THE NORTH -WIND. 


39 


It chanced that the window was open a 
crack at the top, and just as the Boy cried, 



SWEPT AWAY BY THE NORTH-WIND. 


“ I’ve got him ! ” I slipped between his 
fingers and out through the crack. 

Outside it was no better. The great 
North-Wind was blowing by. It swept 
me away. I tried to fly back, but my 
little wings were as nothing against the 
great unseen wings of the North -Wind. 

I was carried swiftly across the lawn, 


40 


BUZ -BUZ. 


over the drive, far away over the garden. 
Suddenly the North -Wind stopped, and 
dropped me right into the yellow heart 
of a great red rose. 

At first I was too dizzy to know much 
of what was about me ; but when I had 
rested awhile I began to smell a spicy 
odor, and soon I found there was some- 
thing sugary-sweet at the very centre of 
the flower. I began to think the North- 
Wind was a friend, after all. 

While I was sipping the honey-dew, a 
great winged creature sailed down out of 
the sky and lighted near me. 

I thought at first it must be one of 
the angels the Grandma had told Baby 
about. I know now it was a Butter- 
fly. 

I hid between the red petals and 


WITH THE NORTH- WIND. 


41 


watched the beautiful being, and wished 
I had such great shining wings. 

But the next minute I was glad I was 
only a tiny fly, and could hide away from 
the huge black-and-yellow monster that 
suddenly came with a very great buzzing 



and roaring of its wings. It knocked the 
Butterfly off the rose, and with a quick 
greedy scrambling began to gather the 
golden food in the heart of the flower. 


42 


BUZ -BUZ. 


I was very much scared, lest the great 
robber — which I afterwards heard the 
Boy call a Bumblebee — should find me. 
I kept as close as I could in between 
the broad petals of the rose. At last, 
the rumbling came very near, until there 
was only one thin red leaf between me 
and the monster. I could see his great 
shadow over me. 

But while I was all a-tremble, the 
North -Wind began to blow, and shook 
the rose-tree rudely, and swept me away 
again, towards the orchard. 


ADVENTURE V. 


IN THE SILVER WEB. 



UICK as the buzz of a 
wing the North -Wind and 
I were among the trees. 
Just ahead, where the low 
branches of an apple-tree 
touched the grass, there 
was something misty- 
white and shining. 

I did not quite like the looks of it, and 
I tried to fly to one side, but I was 
not strong enough. I was hurled head- 
long into it — into the silver web of our 
great enemy, the Spider. 

I had heard of spiders. I had heard of 


43 


44 


BUZ -BUZ. 


the traps they set for us, but never before 
had I been caught in one. 

At first I was not afraid ; the lines were 



THE APPLE-TREE. 


so slender I did not think they could hold 
me. But they did hold me ; and the more 
I buzzed my wings and tried to break 
away, the more the silver threads clung 
about me and tangled my legs. 

Just then I saw, up above me, where 
the web was thicker, close to a little green 
apple, the wicked Spider himself. 

He was quite still. I was not sure he 








IN THE SILVER WEB. 


47 


had seen me. Yet I buzzed and struggled 
to get free. 

It was of no use, though. I only wound 
the shining white cords about my wings, 
closer and closer, until I could not flutter 
them at all. 

Then the Spider reached out his claws 
and began to pull the lines that held me, 
began to draw me up toward his den. 

I was in 
great danger. 

I thought of 
the North- 
Wind, and I 

. . THE CHIPPIE-BIRD. 

wished it 

would blow hard again. I wished it 
would blow me away, somewhere, any- 
where, out of that terrible silver web, 
away from that wicked Spider. 



48 


BUZ -BUZ. 


Yet the North-Wind did not blow; the 
North-Wind did not save me. 

But while I was longing for its great 
unseen wings, I heard a flutter, and saw 
the bright eyes of a Chippie-bird as he 
came flying toward me. 

And just as the Spider reached out his 
ugly claws to clasp me, the Chippie-bird 
caught me in his bill, and I was borne 
away, up, up, over the tree-tops. 


ADVENTURE VI. 


IN THE CHIPPIES NEST. 



"\HE brown Chippie flew 
swiftly over the or- 
chard with me in his 
_ bill. I was not hurt 
at all, for he held me 
lightly. I wondered what 
would happen next. 

This is what did happen. 

Close by the great barn door was a tree. 
In the tree was a nest. In the nest were 
five Chippie-bird babies. 

The papa bird, with me in his bill, 
flew down into the tree and lighted on 
the edge of the nest. 


49 


50 


BUZ -BUZ. 


All at once the five little half-dressed 
baby birds stretched up their long thin 
necks. Their eyes 
were still closed ; 

they could not see ; 
but they opened 

their mouths very, 

very wide, and 

chirped out all to- 

BY THE BARN DOOR. A 

gether : 

“I’m hungry!” “Give it to me!”. 

“Me!” “Me!” “Me!” “I’m the hun- 
griest ! ” “ Give it to me ! ” “ Me ! ” 

“Me!” “Me!” 

They were all so hungry, and chirped 
so fast, the poor papa bird did not know 
which to feed first. 

Finally he tried to drop me into all 
their mouths at once — and so, queerly 



» 




“ WITH 


ME IN HIS BILL.” 


* 































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•• 











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* 










• v 




* 
















































IN THE CHIPPIE'S NEST. 


53 


enough, I did not fall into any one of 
them. 

The papa Chippie was in such a hurry 
to get them something more that he flew 
away, and didn’t see that I fell down be- 
tween two baby Chippies in the bottom 
of the nest. 

But there I 
was among the 


five baby Chip- 
pies thought 
one of the others 

THE YELLOW COW. 

had swallowed 

me, for none of them tried to find me. 

The funny baby Chippies kept nestling 
about, and their prickly little pin-feathers 
kept scratching the spider-web off my 


birds; and I sup- 
pose each of the 



54 


BUZ -BUZ. 


back, and off my wings, and away from 
my legs. 

Before the papa Chippie came back I 
could buzz my gauze wings as well as 
ever, and I flew out of the nest. 

I did not know where to go ; but right 
before me was the open barn door, and I 
flew in there, and lighted on the back of 
a great yellow Cow. 


ADVENTURE VII. 


IN BABY'S BATH - TUB. 


LIVED in the yellow 
Cows barn a long time. 
But one day I wanted to 
see Baby again. I won- 
dered if his other legs 
had started, and if his 
wings had begun to 
grow. 

So at night, when a man had milked 
the yellow Cow, and was going back to 
the house, I flew and lighted on his hat, 
and rode up to the kitchen and into the 
pantry. 

I found several flies in the pantry that 



55 



THE MAN THAT MILKED. 


I knew; and there were so many nice 
things to eat that I stayed about the 

kitchen until the next 


day. 

Toward noon the 
Grandma came and 
filled the silver cup 
with warm milk. I 
knew the warm milk 
was for Baby. So 
I went with the Grandma. 

Baby was not quite ready for milk. 
He was still in his bath. The tub stood 
in the sunshine. It was a blue tub. 
Baby was pink, like a rose. I thought 
it would be nice to go and crawl on him ; 
but I didn’t then. 

Baby was splashing the water with 
both his fists ; and after he had splashed 




IN BABY'S BATH- TUB. 


57 


there were ever so many bubbles all over 
the water. The bubbles the sun shone on 
were full of rainbow colors, like my wings. 
Baby was pleased with the pretty bubbles, 
and clapped his hands and shouted. 



“ Goo-goo ! ” said Baby. 

I thought the bubbles pretty, too. I 
wanted to know what they were made of. 


58 BUZ- BUZ. 

So I flew down and lighted on the very 
brightest one of all. 

Snap ! It burst into a thousand bits, 
and I fell into the water. Oh, that soapy 
water! It was worse than the milk in 
Baby’s cup — and the blue wall of the tub 
was such a long way off ! 

But Baby saw me, and picked me up 
with his thumb and finger, just as the 
Chippie-bird did with his bill. He put 
me on his little bare wet arm, and I 
started and crawled as fast as I could up 
toward his shoulder. 

Baby laughed, and said, “ Goo-goo ! ” 
and pointed his finger at me. Then he 
said, “Buz-Buz!” 

At that the Lady said, “ O-o-o ! ” and the 
Grandma held up both hands, and said, 
“ Did you ever!” 





ON baby’s bare wet arm 





IN BABY'S BA TH- TUB. 6 1 

I was almost up to his shoulder when 
Baby shook his arm and said, “ Buz-Buz 
tickle!” Then he cried, “Mama, Gama!” 

The Lady and the Grandma both came 
quickly, and both grabbed for me. 

I was too wet to fly, but I could crawl 
quite fast with my six legs. Baby’s ear 
was not far away, and I hurried to crawl 
into that. But Baby screamed and struck 
at me with his two fists, and somehow 
I was knocked off under the chair. 

Baby wasn’t as nice as I thought, after 
all. I decided to go straight back to 
the kitchen as soon as I was dry enough 
to fly. 


ADVENTURE VIII. 


ON THE STICKY PLACE. 



WENT back to the kitchen. 
The door was closed, but 
I could hear a great buzzing 
inside. I wondered what it 
was about. I thought it 
might be the Cook had 
spilled the sugar — sometimes cooks do 
spill the sugar, and flies are always glad 
then, and come buzzing about to get some. 
So I found the key-hole as quickly as I 
could and crawled through. 

The buzzing was over by the cooking 
table, and I flew straight there. The Cook 
was laughing, and clapping her hands, and 




ON THE STICKY PLACE. 63 

looking all the time at a queer box on 
one corner of the table. 

The buzzing was in the queer box. 



The box was of wire, all holes, so you 
could see inside. And inside were hun- 


64 BUZ- BUZ. 

dreds of flies. When the Cook clapped 
her hands they buzzed as hard as they 
could, and tried to get out, but they 
couldn’t. 

There was sugar by the little door to 
the box. If the Cook hadn’t been there 
I should have had some. I am glad I 
didn’t, for I know now that the box was a 
fly-trap, with an easy sugary way in, and 
no way out. 

As I flew away from the fly-trap, I 
heard a wild buzzing over by the window, 
like that a fly makes when he is caught in 
a spider’s web. I went that way, keeping 
a sharp lookout. 

There was no spider; but on the 
ledge was a sheet of paper, and on the 
paper something yellow that looked sweet 
and good to eat. And on the edge of 


ON THE STICKY PLACE . 65 

the yellow something was a fly that I 
knew. 

The poor fly was buzzing, and pulling 
his legs, and trying to lift his feet, but he 
could not get away. I went close to the 
edge, to try and help him, but, before 
I knew, one of my 
own feet touched the 
yellow something on 
the paper, and I 
could not lift it off. 

I pulled and pulled, 
but the yellow stuff 
held on. Then I 

THE STICKY PLACE. 

tried to fly, but buzz 

as hard as I could the dreadful Sticky 
Place held me. 

It was as bad as a spiders web, only 
there was no spider. And I could not 



66 


BUZ -BUZ. 


help the other fly after all. I was a 
prisoner, too. 

Just then the door opened with a bang, 
and the Boy rushed in. 

“I want a fly — Cook, catch me a fly 
this minute ! ” he shouted. 

But the Cook didn’t do it. I don’t 
think she liked the Boy very much, for 
when he saw the fly-trap, and all the many 
flies inside, and yelled, “ Oh, I’ve got ’em, 
I’ve got ’em!” she took the buzzing box. 
and put it up on the top shelf. 

The Boy was mad. He made his hands 
into fists. He tried to hit the Cook. 

That minute, though, he saw me on the 
Sticky Place. He hushed himself. He 
crept on tiptoe to the window. 

I kept very still. 

The Boy didn’t know I was caught fast, 




ON THE STICKY PLACE. 69 

I suppose, for he reached out slowly and 
carefully, and then grabbed me between 
his thumb and finger, and rushed out of 
the kitchen with me, banging the door as 
hard as he could behind him. 


ADVENTURE IX. 


IN THE PAPER PRISON. 



HE Boy had saved me 
from the Sticky Place, 
but I did not know 
whether to be glad or 
not. He held me very 
tight. I could not see. 
I could not stir my head. 
I could not buzz a wing. I could not 
move a leg. It hurt. 

The Boy ran through the hall, and up 
the stairs to his room. There he put me 
in a little pink paper box, and went away. 
He made a lot of noise with his feet be- 
fore he went. He made a dreadful noise 


70 


¥ 



“I BUZZED. 


' 'Vv 






IN THE PA PEE PRISON 


73 


with his mouth, too. It frightened me as 
much as being shut in the box. 

After that it was still for a long time. 
Then it grew dark, and I knew it was 
night. By and by the Boy came and 
went to bed. The Lady came, too, and 
tucked him in, and then went away. In 
two minutes after the Lady had said good- 
night, the Boy jumped out again, and 
came and took up the box. He shook it. 
I buzzed. Then he laughed, and put the 
box down and went to bed again, and all 
was still, and we both fell asleep. 

In the morning he shook the box again 
before he went to breakfast. 

After breakfast, I. knew by the noises 
that he was getting ready for school. I 
had seen him many times, and I knew, 
though I was shut up in the pink box. 


74 


BUZ -BUZ. 


Then the Boy started off ; but in half a 
minute he came back and got me, and put 
me in his satchel with 
the books and the lunch. 
The Boy sometimes for- 
got the books, but he 
never forgot the lunch. 
I think there was cake 
that day — the smell 

THE TEACHER. 

made me very hungry. 

So it was that I went to school ; and I 
did wonder what would happen to me. 

When we got there, I heard the Teacher 
say the Boy was late. 

I guess the Boy did not like that, for 
he scuffed his feet every step across the 
room. The Teacher said he might stay 
in at recess. 

Then a bell tinkled, and it grew very 



IN THE PAPER PRISON. 


75 


still, and the Teacher began to read. 
While she was reading, the Boy took the 
box and turned it over and over very fast, 
so that I kept standing on my head, and I 
had to buzz my wings. The buzz sounded 
very strange and loud. 



“THE CHILDREN ALL GIGGLED.” 


The children all giggled. The Boy, 
though, kept very still, and put me in his 
desk. 

I think the Teacher knew, for she 


76 


BUZ-BUZ. 


spoke to the Boy. She said, “ Bring it 
to me.” 

So he took the box to the Teacher, with 
me in it. He scuffed his feet all the way. 
The Teacher said he might stay after 
school. 

I was not moved again till noon. I 
wondered all the time what would be done 
to the Boy and to me. I was hungry, too 
— I wished I had some of the Boys 
lunch. 

After school the Teacher talked with 
the Boy. He didn’t say much. Then she 
told him she would go home with him. 
She took me, too. 

The minute the door at our house 
opened, the Boy ran in and up the stairs, 
and I heard his door bang and the lock 
snap. 


IN THE PAPER PRISON. 


77 


The Teacher tolcf the Grandma all 
about it. She opened the box to show 
me to her. I did not wait, though, for 
the Grandma to see me. As soon as the 
crack was wide enough I flew through, 
and off into the dining-room, as swiftly 
as I could. 

I was never in a paper prison after that. 


ADVENTURE X. 


IN THE SUGAR BOWL. 

WAS in the dining- 
room for many days. 
It seemed to be a 
safe place. I always 
crawled behind the 
great oak sideboard 
when folks were there, morning, noon, 
and night, and waited until the table 
was cleared — so no one ever saw me. 

But one day something strange hap- 
pened. It was after lunch. The folks 
had gone driving, Baby and all — all but 
the Boy. I had just found the very sweet- 
est bit of cake-frosting, and was having 



IN THE SUGAR BOWL. 


79 


my lunch, when the door opened and the 
Maid came in. 

She walked so very softly, and the frost- 
ing was so very nice, that I did not go 
behind the sideboard as I should. She 
came to the table and lifted the lid of the 
silver sugar bowl. She held it a minute 
and looked in. She laughed softly. She 
looked about the room. Then, quick as a 
flash, she grabbed — grabbed me! and the 
next minute I was put in the sugar bowl, 
and the lid shut over me with a clash. 

I had had many adventures, but this 
was the strangest. All my life I had been 
driven away from sugar. Many a time 
the Maid had driven me away herself. 
Yet now she had caught me and shut me 
in the most sugary place of all — the 
sugar bowl itself ! 


8o 


BUZ -BUZ. 


I wondered what it could mean. I 
harked. I heard the Maid go out softly 
and close the door. I waited. All was still. 

I did not like being shut in the sugar 
bowl, but I had not been hurt — and there 
was the sugar all about me! I took just 
one taste. Then _ I harked 

again, and 
waited a 
minute. All was 
still as before. 

Somehow I stopped 
being frightened I sup- 
pose it was the sugar — 
oh, such great squares 
of sweet, sweet sugar! I had never had 
such a chance before. I ate, and ate, and 
ate. I wished I were as big as Baby — 
I wished I were as big as the Boy. 



SUGAR “SQUARES.’ 



“ IT WAS THE BOY ! ” 








IN THE SUGAR BOWL. 


83 


Hark ! I heard the door open softly. 
I thought of the Maid. I began to be 
scared again. Some one came on tiptoe 
to the table. The lid of the sugar bowl 
was lifted. I looked up. 

It was not the Maid — it was the Boy! 
You can guess how quickly I flew out and 
away behind the sideboard. 

I kept very still and listened. I heard 
the rattle of sugar squares, then tiptoe 
steps, and after that the door shut softly. 

I had never heard the Boy shut a door 
so softly before. I never have since. 

Then — I had eaten so much sugar, a 
dinner instead of a lunch — I went to 
sleep, and slept a long time. 

When I woke, the Lady and the Maid 
were in the room. They were talking. I 
heard the Maid say to the Lady : 


8 4 


BUZ -BUZ. 


“ Sure, mam, an’ I can’t keep the 
square sugar in the bowl at all. Every 
day it goes between the lunch and the din- 
ner. So to-day I set a trap. I shut a fly 



in the sugar bowl — to see if any one 
opened it. Sure, mam, you’ve all been 
away but that Boy, an’ now, m’am, you 
can see yourself, m’am, the fly is gone, an’ 


IN THE SUGAR BOWL. 85 

the sugar too ! So I know, mam, it’s 
that Boy.” 

“ Possibly,” said the Lady, as she 
went out, “perhaps — if the fly didn’t 
eat it!” 


ADVENTURE XI. 


IN THE CANARY’S CAGE. 

HE next day, and the 



next, I kept wishing I 
could get into the silver 
sugar bowl again. I tried 
to get in, but I couldn’t. 
The cover was always on. 


It shut close all around. 

It was a very shiny sugar bowl. When 
I crawled on it, I could see a Shiny-place 
Fly crawling, feet up, under me. 

The Shiny-place Flies live in all shiny 
things — in silver and glass, and in all 
mirrors. They are always right under 
you, they look just like you, they always 


IN THE CANARY'S CAGE. 87 

do as you do — they crawl, they run, they 
buzz their wings, only their buzzing makes 
no noise. They are the queerest flies I 
know. I wonder if they got shut into the 
shiny things, as I did 
into the sugar bowl, 
and were never let 
out ! 

One day, I wanted 
some sugar so much, 

I flew over to the 
table when the Maid 
was there, and lighted 
on the cover of the 
bowl. I thought per- 

A SHINY-PLACE FLY. 

haps the Maid would 

put me inside, as she did before. 

She did not. Instead, she slatted me 
off with a napkin. And when I stopped 



BUZ -BUZ. 


for a bit of a crumb on the edge of the 
table, she drove me away. And when I 
flew to the top of the window, she got the 



THE MAID CHASES BUZ-BUZ. 


long feather duster and whisked me with 
that. 

Then she chased me into the china 
closet, and out again. In there, she hit a 





“ ‘ S-SS-T ! CATCHIM ! ’ ” 


f 


























. 






































IN THE CANARY'S CAGE. 


91 


china dish instead of me. It fell, smash, 
to the floor ! She only stopped to say, 
“ Oh ! ” and was after me once more, 
across the dining-room, back again, and 
out into the hall. 

No wonder I was scared, for there in 
the hall was the Boy and the Dog. 

The Boy threw his cap at me. He said, 
“ S-ss-t ! catchim ! ” to the Dog. 

The Dog ran around like mad, and 
barked terribly, and jumped at me if I 
flew low. 

So I flew back into the dining-room, and 
kept high, close up against the ceiling. 

After awhile they grew tired of chasing 
me. Then the Boy said : 

“ I know how to catch him — let out the 
Canary ! ” 

The Maid said, “ No.” 


92 


BUZ -BUZ. 


The Boy said, “ Yes ! ” 

And he did. And the bird flew after 
me. 

And I flew — into the Canary’s cage ! 
The door had swung to, and he couldn’t 
get me, though I was in his own house. 

The Canary fluttered around the cage, 
trying to peck me between the wires, but 
I kept out of his way. 

When the Maid saw how it was, she 
reached up and took the cage down, but 
I crawled under the seed-box, and she 
did not find me. So she put the Canary 
back, and went off with the Boy and the 
Dog. 

By and by it was evening. The Canary 
tucked his head under his wing, and went 
to sleep. Then I crawled out from my 
hiding-place, and ate some of his sugar- 


IN THE CANARY'S CAGE . 


93 


lump. After that I went over behind the 
sideboard for the night. 

I did not invite the Maid to put me in 
the sugar bowl again. 


ADVENTURE XII. 


IN THE CHRISTMAS TREE. 



HE summer went 
. ^ by. The days 

|§i grew shorter and 
shorter, the nights 
longer and longer. The 
flies grew fewer and fewer. 
I suppose they were caught in the fly- 
trap and on the Sticky Place. At last I 
was the only fly left. It was very 
lonesome. 

Then the nights became chilly. Some 
mornings I was so stiff with the cold 
that I could not fly until long after the sun 
was up. 


94 


IN THE CHRISTMAS TREE. 


95 


One day they filled the sunny window 
with house flowers. The garden flowers 



had stopped blooming; not one could I 
see from the window. I lived mostly in 


96 BUZ-BUZ . 

the flower window. Some of the blossoms 
had sugary centres. There were many 
hiding-places there, too. I was glad of 
that, for, if I ventured out, some one 
always chased me. 

It is strange that folks don’t like flies 
better. I should like folks, if they were 
nice. I think I could even like the Boy. 

One day I saw a great wonder. It was 
outside. The whole sky was full of white 
blossoms, falling down and covering the 
garden and . fields, until the whole world 
was white. 

Then I remembered what the oldest fly 
I had ever known, the only one I ever 
knew that had lived through a winter, told 
me. He said: 

“When the bright-colored flowers go 
away, and the white flowers fall from the 


IN THE CHRISTMAS TREE . 


97 


sky, then you must find a snug warm nest, 
and crawl in, and go to sleep, and not 
wake up until the white flowers go and 
the bright-colored flowers come again.” 

So I began to look about for a snug 
warm nest. I went into the nursery. It 
was just dark. Baby was fast asleep in 
the muslin castle. I found the door open 
a crack and went in. I crawled in under 
the blankets. Oh, how cosy and warm it 
was ! I thought I had found a good 
winter nest. 

But the next morning, when Baby woke 
up, he began to kick, to strike, to wiggle 
all over. I saw it was not a safe place at 
all, and I got out, and away, as quickly as 
I could. 

Outside, the white flowers were still fall- 
ing from heaven. The sky-sun was gone, 


9 8 


BUZ- BUZ. 


but over in the fireplace was a new and 
shining sun — a house-sun. I flew over 
and found a tiny hole in the carving 
under the mantel. It was a warm nest. 
I liked it. There was no wiggling baby 

there. 

I stayed 
by the house- 
sun all day. 
At night the 
house-sun 
went off. I 
suppose it 
set in the 
cellar. I 
think so be- 
cause, after it went down, I found a 
hole in the floor where the warmness 
came up. 



THE HOUSE-SUN. 










































































AY THE CHRIS TM AS TREE . 


IOI 


The next day the house-sun was up 
again, and shining as warm and bright 
as ever. 

So it was for many days and nights. 

I stayed in my snug winter nest mostly, 
only going out now and then for one of 
Baby’s crumbs. 

I missed the dining-room sugar and 
cake-frosting very much. They didn’t 
give Baby frosted cake. They didn’t 
give him cake at all. 

But one night I had a feast. 

It was Christmas Eve. 

There was a Tree in the nursery. 
There were many beautiful things on the 
Tree, but the best of all were the barley- 
candy dogs, and the barley-candy cats, and 
the barley-candy birds. 

The Lady and the Man tied them to the 


102 


BUZ -BUZ. 


branches all over the Tree. Then they 
went out. 

The minute the door shut I flew to the 
Tree, and -tasted the barley-candy dogs, 
and the barley-candy cats, and the barley- 
candy birds, and all the sweet things on 
the Tree. 

Then the door opened, and Baby came 
in, and all the folks behind him. 

Baby didn’t crawl. He walked on his 
two feet. When he saw the Tree, he 
clapped his hands and shouted : 

“Santa! Kissmas!” 

At that, the Lady, and the Man, and the 
Grandma, and the Boy, and everybody, 
cried out : 

“ Merry Christmas, Baby!” 

And I, Buz-Buz, thought it was a merry 
Christmas, too. 





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